The Columbus journal., 1887-04-06

would be surprised to Know that the
Americans. whose taste in dress is SO
greatly admired over there, pay as
high as EGO or ELS tor a bonnet. That
statement aroused the curiosity of many
feminine Sun readers. Who pays 500
or 1925 for a bonnet? They did not
know any n who did, and vet it
might be true. But il seems it is not
true. The most fashionable milliner in
New York says SO. She gets more for
hats and bonnets than any one else in
town. so that her word on the subject is
final.
ut is absurd" she said. I'VE could
easily make hats and bonnets that
would be worth that price. but no one
would buy them. Do you know how
much the most fashionable aud wealthy
ladies in town want to get their bonnets
for? Twenty-Five dollars. We get $35
and sometimes $40 for q bonnet but
these prices are mainly for imported
ones. There's not much money in an
imported bonnet at those figures. Take
one that costs 100 francs in Paris. that's
$40. Add 50 per cent. duty: that's $40.
or $50 in all. So that when you take
the risk of its not pleasing and your
help and rent into consideration, your
profit is small. OF course all our i'm
ported goods are from Paris. There's
nothing tasteful or pretty made for wo-
men in London. They dress the men
we'll there, but the women are obliged
to look to Paris for styles.
''When q woman pays $35 or $40 for
q bonnet she expects to get everything
tho whole store. She pretends she
can get the same thing for less money
in Sixth avenue, when even a man can
see the difference between bonnets here
and bonnets there. WHAT makes the
cost? Oh, the quality of the velvet, the
expensive trimmings and feathers. Now
here's Il love- from Paris (holding up
q jaunty bonnet of chocolate-colOred
plush trimmed with q row of heavy jet
beads and with half of the russet-red
tail feathers of q bird of Paradise).
I've refused $35 for 1t. 1t is as good,
and Is snowy, ami as expensive as any
woman on the continent has or can
get. And it IS too expensive for most
Of them. They don't like to 60 above
$25."
..rsee all our hats aud bonnets are
trimmed with feathers. Don't you feel
the effect of the Audubon movement
for the protection of birds? thought
the ladies were going to get along with
out causing the slaughter of birds for
their adOrnment."
do [ feel the movement? Guess l do.
But what geese the women are. Now,
this very hat will be put aside by half
q dozen women in sue ession because it
has got the head and beak of a bird of
Paradise among its trimmings. oh We
can't buy that with \ head of a poor
little bird on it, they say. And then
they turn around and buy a hat with a
pair of wings or u birds back or a
breast on it. Just as if a bird might not
lust as we'll lose mis- head as his tail or
back or breast But there's never any
reason in any of these crazes. These
Audubon women won't buy a hat not
trimmed with feathers, but they insist
that they shall have nothing else-nO
claws, beaks or heads"
This milliner said that women are
very economical. They compare favor
ably with the men in this respect. They
may pay $25 for a bonnet. but they
insist OF getting the worth of their
money. 'Give u man 500 and a wo-
man $780," said she, land see what
each will do. The woman will bring
home a lot of things. The man will
smoke up cigars. drink wine. and get
up a dinner for his friends. He will
have nothing left but a headache for
his money" Whether this comparison
be true or not, recent researches into
the fashions adopted by the ladies this
winter has revealed the fact that it takes
an enormous amount of money to satisfy
q woman of fashion. II has been found
that bOnncts come as high as $40, seal
skin sacques are bought every day for
$500 or $500. and coats of Russian
sable are worn by ladies whose hus-
bands paid $1,000 for them. The tailor
made cloth walking-suits average 800
in cost and only form one IN the series
of four dresses needed for a lady's daily
changes. Her afternoon home dress is
likely to cost S75 or 800. her evening
dress. if in the height of fashion. will
cost $500 to $500, and she needs a $25
wrapper to wear at her toilet before
breakfast The Broadway shopping es-
Adjustments nov keep on hand silk
under-clothing at S35 a suit. chemises
$50, skirts at $50 and $50. drawers
$35 to $50. stockings at Sl2 a pair,
and corsets.
IF Coal-Oil Johnny were to come to
life again and try to throw a fortune
away, he could not spend one half SO
much in dress" said a s%tOrekeeper the
other day. 'as it is deemed necessary
for a rich woman to spend il she wants
keep up to the standard set by other